WPSA programmesWPSA has several programmes to support members and branches. Details on the travel grant programmes, the speakers’ bureau programme and proposals for Branch development can be found on the WPSA website. Criteria for eligibility are published together with the (different) deadlines for the individual programmes. Please follow the instructions as inaccurate, incomplete and late applications have to be rejected.

WPSA presence at exhibitions and conferencesWPSA was present at the International Production and Processing Expo in Atlanta, USA; VIV MEA, Abu Dhabi; AGRA ME, Dubai, UAE; Victam Asia, Bangkok, Thailand and VIV Europe, Utrecht, The Netherlands.Visitors could collect promotional materials of WPSA, the WPS Journal, WPC 2020 and other symposia and conferences which were on display. More and more the booth becomes a meeting place for members from several countries.

The Asian Pacific Poultry Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand, 25-27 March, was a great success. Over 1200 participants came from all over the world.From 9-11 May the International Poultry Conference in Nigde, organised by the Turkish branch of WPSA, from 15-17 May the International Conference in Sergiev Posad, organised by the Russian branch of WPSA, and from 16-19 June the Mediterranean Poultry Summit, Torino, organised by the Italian branch, were attended. All conferences were very well attended and proved that knowledge dissemination is very important and this type of meetings are an excellent tool for that purpose.

During the next month’s several conferences and other (branch) meetings are scheduled. To mention some, in September the European Poultry Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia. In November the Algerian branch organizes the Algerian and Maghreb conference in Constantine, Algeria and in Atlanta, USA, there is the Poultry Summit on innovation. For the last months of 2018 other meetings and symposia are announced in New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland and Spain. Members are invited to attend the events and to meet many WPSA members and representatives.Details on these and other meetings and exhibitions can be found in the calender on the WPSA website (www.wpsa.com).

Change of officers Asia Pacific FederationDuring the Asia Pacific Poultry Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, representatives of Asia Pacific Federation member branches met.Dr Sakchai Sriboonsue, Thailand, was elected president and is the successor of Alan Gibbins, New Zealand, who was the president for 12 years. The China branch will organize the next APPC 2022.

Cooperation with the organization on World Veterinary Education in Production Animal Health (WVEPAH)The WVEPAH, a non-profit organization organizes training courses on poultry (for 3 à 4 weeks) in several countries. More details are on www.wvepah.org. All activities will also be announced on our website and in the WPS Journal.

Data Privacy25 May 2018, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into effect. In order to comply with this regulation (and data protection regulations in other parts of the world), the data privacy page on our website, explains how we collect personal data and in what way we use them.

Dr Roel Mulder

Treasurer's Report

For many of us, the summer months are full of scientific society events. In July, I attended the Poultry Science Association (PSA) Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. I was joined by WPSA President Dr Ning Yang, and First Vice President, Dr Bob Buresh. While none of us particularly enjoyed the record-breaking Texas heat wave, we did enjoy many good presentations and high on that list was the WPSA Lecture sponsored by the Canada and United States Branches of WPSA. This year’s lecture, ‘The current state and future demands of the poultry industry: will we meet our commitments?’ was most ably presented by Dr Rick Kleyn of SPESFEED (Pty) Ltd., Broederstroom, South Africa. I met with the Board of the United States Branch and gave an international WPSA update at the Joint Luncheon Meeting of the two branches. In addition, I tried to spend as much time as possible in the Student Poster Sessions, where I visited with students and let them know about Travel Grant opportunities available through WPSA.

In August I travelled to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia for the 25 Anniversary Conference of AMEVEA, Bolivia. Besides staffing a WPSA booth, after several years of work I was able to see the official start of a WPSA Bolivia Branch. I was joined by WPSA Past President, Dr Edir Da Silva, as we inaugurated the new Branch during the Gala Banquet festivities. I am proud to announce that Dr Sergio Salazar is the founding Branch President, and Dr Fernando Pena Torrez is, the founding Branch Secretary-Treasurer for Bolivia.

WPSA Past President Edir de Silva & WPSA Treasurer Francine Bradley (on Right) pictured before Gala dinner for the new Bolivian Brach with (in the front row) founding Pres. & Secretary of WPSA - Bolivia: Dr. Sergio Salazar and Dr. Mirtha Rivadineira, respectively, as well as other AMEVEA officers and invited guests in the back row

Dr. Carlos Lopez Coello (President of WPSA-Mexico) and Dr. Francine Bradley (WPSA Treasurer) with a group of Bolivian veterinary students.

In between travels, I have finalized the Treasurer’s Report of the 2017 books, which I will present at the upcoming Board Meeting. The 2017 financials were reviewed by the Committee of Drs. Mickey Hall (Clemson University) and Karen Schwean-Lardner (University of Saskatoon). A proposed budget for 2019 has been prepared and will be reviewed at the Board Meeting.

Looking forward to seeing many of you at the European Poultry Conference in Dubrovnik,

Dr Francine Bradley

Branch Development Programme

In the Board meeting held during WPC2016 in Beijing, China, the Board decided to increase the funds available for Branch Development by making a formal call for Branch Development Proposals. In 2018 we approved proposals from Croatia and Senegal.

Rose-Marie Wegner

1924-2018

Professor Dr Rose-Marie Wegner was born on 16 March 1924 in Pegnitz/Tilsit. After an apprenticeship in agriculture from 1943 to 1945 she studied general agriculture in Halle/Saale and in Bonn. She received her Diploma in Agricultural Science from the University of Bonn in 1950 and graduated at the same University in 1952. Thereafter she was employed as a scientific assistant at the Institute of Animal Husbandry and moved in 1961 into the special field of Poultry and Small Animal Sciences. After five years of research and teaching in poultry, rabbits and fur animal production, she was appointed Professor and head of the Breeding and Management of Small Animals section. From January to June 1966 she was guest professor at the poultry science department of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. In 1976 she accepted the position of Director of the Federal Institute for Small Animal Research in Celle, where she worked until her retirement in 1989. Rose-Marie Wegner joined the WPSA in 1952 when the German Branch was first established. She was elected as board member of the German Branch in 1962 and as secretary in 1972. In 1984 she was elected as secretary of WPSA and served in this position until 1996. She worked very hard over these years for the Association and it was not easy in those days as the automatisation level was low and the financial position of WPSA was poor, resulting in her personal sponsorship of the international organisation over many years. For this the WPSA has great respect for her work and contribution to the association.In the beginning of her scientific career, Rose-Marie Wegner worked in poultry nutrition. Later she focused on rural work on poultry management systems. As a member of the working group IX, Poultry Welfare and Management, of the European Federation of WPSA she was in close cooperation with colleagues of other countries. In 1985 she organised the International Symposium on Poultry Welfare in Celle. She was actively involved in the development of non-cage systems for laying hens, including get-away cages and aviaries. Under her leadership the Institute of small animals in Celle became an important centre for the development of management systems. At that time the welfare of laying hens was a highly political issue in Germany and Europe, and as director of the research station, Rose-Marie Wegner was exposed to criticism from welfare oriented NGOs as well as of public media and egg industry. By virtue of her friendly but resolute approach, she was able to act as mediator between welfare organisations, farmer organisations and governmental authorities.As a scientist and secretary of WPSA she was in continuous contact and shared ideas and information with many poultry institutes worldwide. On the basis of her scientific work and her merits as secretary of the WPSA she was accepted in the International Poultry Hall of Fame at the World`s Poultry Congress in Montreal 2000. To acknowledge the meritorious service as secretary of the Association she received also the Macdougall Award in Glasgow in 1994. Furthermore she was awarded the Order of merits of the Federal Government of Germany.After her retirement she became an Honourable Member of the German Branch and continued participating in the activities and meetings of WPSA. Rose-Marie Wegner passed away 13 April 2018 at 94 years of age.

Paul Hocking

1948-2018Paul Hocking was born in 1948 and grew up on a mixed farm near Exeter in Devon. He read agriculture at Reading University and obtained a postgraduate Diploma in Genetics at Edinburgh University in 1970. From 1970 to 1977 he worked for a secretariat providing services to cattle breeding societies. His work on a selection programme for dairy shorthorn cattle formed the basis for his PhD awarded in 1978 by Reading University. After 3 years lecturing at Reading he spent the next 2 years as a research fellow at the Animal Research Centre in Ottawa. It was there that he started to transfer his genetic interests from cattle to poultry. In 1983 he joined the Nutrition Department at the Poultry Research Centre in Edinburgh with the remit to study the topic of feed restriction in breeding birds. He remained there for the rest of his career seeing many changes, with the centre by the time of his retirement having been absorbed into the Roslin Institute and subsequently the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Science in the University of Edinburgh.

Paul quickly made a name in what became known as the broiler breeder paradox. The large body of work that defined the reproductive biology of broiler breeders and its control by feed restriction made him the go-to person for broiler and turkey breeder reproductive and welfare research. All Paul’s work was characterised by well-designed experiments and careful conclusions that led to sound understanding. This standing was recognised by the European Food Standard agency, with him serving on their Panels on Animal Health and Welfare of broilers and broiler breeders and in judicial reviews in the UK on breeder welfare. Paul embraced the genomic revolution and was in the forefront of setting up the populations needed to identify genes for Mendelian and quantitative traits in poultry. He also found new applications for his talents in understanding eye defects and disease susceptibility. Paul was diligent in carrying a piece of work through to its completion and was author or co-author of over 200 papers. He was a sought-after speaker and had travelled around the world on his reputation - travelling was something he much enjoyed. His work was recognised by the award of the Gordon Memorial Medal in 2013 giving his widely acclaimed lecture on the subject of ‘The unexpected consequences of genetic selection in broilers and turkeys: problems and solutions’.

Paul made a huge contribution to the committees and societies in our science community. He was a prominent figure in the UK branch of the World Poultry Science Association (WPSA). He served as its President and played an important role in several of the Poultry Science Symposia organised by the Branch. Paul also made a major contribution to the European Federation of WPSA. He was Vice President from 2006 to 2010 and the UK representative on Working Group 3 (Genetics). He organised the 7th Symposium of the Group in Scotland. He was a Council Member of British Poultry Science and in 2010 became its Joint Editor.Paul was popular with his colleagues and with his thoughtful, friendly demeanour was a welcome collaborator on many projects. His unique style of after dinner jokes has been imitated but not matched. His service to the science and community that underpins such a major industry has left a lasting legacy. All these things, except the jokes, were recognised when Paul was elected to the International Poultry Hall of Fame at the World Poultry Congress in Beijing in 2016.

Paul had latterly decreased his work load to part time, preparatory to moving back to his roots in Devon. He had started his new life there, much preferring the milder climate to that of Edinburgh. It is a great pity that the rapid onset of a cancer deprived him of more years of retirement. He leaves a wife, Denise, son Chris and daughters Michelle and Jenny. He will be much missed by them and also his many friends and colleagues around the world.

Donald Shaver

1920-2018

One of the first Canadians inducted into the International Poultry Hall of Fame, Donald Shaver, founder of Shaver Poultry Breeding Farms Ltd., has died, a few days short of his 98th birthday.Donald Shaver was born and grew up in Galt, now part of Cambridge, Ontario. As a teenager he kept chickens in the backyard of his urban home, and in a vacant lot next door. He joined the Canadian army in the second World War, achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and was part of the force that liberated The Netherlands in 1945.

After the war, he extended his interest in poultry breeding and established a hatchery and feed mill in Galt. He assembled a large collection of White Leghorn lines purchased from other breeders and began crossbreeding experiments that led to the development of the Shaver Starcross 288. The outstanding performance of this hybrid encouraged Shaver to expand his operations and begin selling parent stock to franchise hatcheries in Canada and the United States. He built a larger hatchery and established a breeding farm adjacent to his home on the outskirts of Galt. By the mid 1960’s new farms were added, and a much larger hatchery, as the business expanded around the world.

At its height, Shaver Poultry Breeding Farms Ltd. was selling breeding stock in more than 90 countries. Subsidiary companies were established in the US, Great Britain, France, and Germany. There were joint ventures in Pakistan, New Zealand, India and Barbados. The company expanded into brown egg layers and meat chickens, which were sold alongside the highly successful white egg Starcross 288. By the mid 1970’s there were four breeding farms in Cambridge, and two hatcheries. Breeding development work took place in France and Great Britain as well as in Canada.

Donald Shaver was himself responsible for a large part of the Company’s success and expansion. He travelled extensively, probably spending between one third and one half of his time overseas. While at home he worked 16 hours seven days a week, and expected similar commitment from his staff.

Initially, most of the genetics input came from consultants, of which Dr R.K. Cole of Cornell University was the most active. In-house geneticists were hired beginning in the 1960’s and two were employed at the time of Donald Shaver’s retirement in 1985.

Early on, during a period of rapid expansion, Cargill Inc. of Minneapolis became part owners of Shaver Poultry Breeding Farms. When Donald Shaver retired in 1985, they became sole owners and soon sold the Company to ISA in France, and they in turn were taken over by what has now become Hendrix Genetics. This Company still maintains two of the breeding farms and a busy hatchery in Cambridge.Shaver also established a beef breeding business and it became quite successful, selling frozen semen and embryos internationally. However, when one case of mad-cow disease occurred in Alberta in 1995, the international market shut down and the beef business closed.

After retirement, Donald Shaver maintained his lifelong advocacy for sustainable agriculture. He made his final presentation on this topic in 2016. He was also involved as a Director in energy, insurance, communication and manufacturing. He was Chairman of Canada Development Investment Corporation until 2008.

Among many awards, Donald Shaver received honorary doctorates from the Universities of McGill, Guelph and Alberta, and was an Officer of the Order of Canada. He is survived by two sons and two daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

XV EUROPEAN POULTRY CONFERENCE

Dubrovnik, Croatia, 17-21 September 2018

The Croatian Branch has finalised the preparation for EPC 2018 which will be held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on September 17-21, 2018. EPC 2018 will have a very interesting scientific programme, so you are warmly invited to join us and contribute to the Congress!

The Conference will be held in the Valamar Hotel & Resorts in Dubrovnik, Croatia, from 17-21 September, and they anticipate that more than 1,000 participants from all over the world will be in attendance to improve their knowledge of poultry research and production.

WPSA European Working Group News

WG2

Nutrition

The next European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition (ESPN2019) will be organised by the Polish Branch, and will be held in Gdansk, Poland from 10-13 June 2019. We will look forward to seeing all of you there.

WG4

Eggs and Egg Quality

WG4 currently has representatives from 21 countries and meets every 2 years at a key WPSA event. Every other year the group holds its own joint ‘EGGMEAT’ symposia with WG5 (Poultry Meat Quality). The aim of these symposia is to bring like-minded people together to discuss hot topics in the field of egg and meat quality.

EGGMEAT2019: The Turkish Branch of WPSA will host our next EGGMEAT symposium in Çeşme-Izmir, Turkey from the 23rd - 25th June 2019. Çeşme is a coastal town located at the end of Western Anatolia and is surrounded on three sides by the Aegean Sea. It is a prominent centre of international tourism in Turkey, famous for its excellent holiday accommodations, restaurants and entertainment facilities. Further details about EGGMEAT2019 are available on the conference website http://www.eggmeat2019.com/index.html#divdavet.

EPC2018: Members of WG4 attending EPC2018 are cordially invited to attend the next meeting of the group which will take place on Thursday 20th September 2018. Key items for our agenda will be the scientific programme for EGGMEAT2019 and Horizon 2020 funding opportunities under work programme 2018-2020 ( http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2018-2020/main/h2020-wp1820-food_en.pdf ) . Details of the venue and time of our meeting will be made available during the conference.

WG5

Poultry Meat Quality

The ‘XXIV European Symposium on the Quality of Poultry Meat’ will be conjointly held with the ‘XVIII European Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg Products’ in Çeşme, İzmir, Turkey between 23 -26 June 2019. Visit http://www.eggmeat2019.com to keep you updated. Special reduced registration fees are available for WPSA members and students.

WG10

Turkeys

Meeting of Work Group 10 of WPSA (Turkey)Turkey Production and Health: Challenges and opportunitiesBerlin, Germany, 18th - 20th May 2017

To strengthen the dialog between persons involved in the different production stages, especially veterinarians and agriculturists, but also economists, and to exchange new results of scientific works and practical experiences, we have organised in Berlin since 2000 on behalf of the European Federation’s Working Group 10 on Turkeys international symposia. The aim of these symposia has been to stimulate the exchange of current information and ideas related to turkey production and health as well as to focus attention on specific problems and encouraging new approaches to solve them.

The 2017 symposium, was held between 18th - 20th May 2017 with the title ‘Turkey Production and Health: Challenges and Opportunities.’ It was attended by 92 scientists and experts from 19 countries (Algeria, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Nigeria, Syria, Sweden, The Netherlands, Tunis, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States of America).

Currently several factors and problems face and influence the production of turkeys worldwide. Today’s intensive turkey production involves areas of conflict between consumer protection, animal welfare and economics; and it requires a lot of knowledge about breeding, husbandry practices, nutrition, diseases, slaughter and marketing, as well as knowledge regarding government regulations and legislations related to turkey production and health. Many human foodborne bacterial infections have been linked to poultry. Control and/or elimination of these organisms present a great challenge. The development of antibiotic resistant bacteria also is a continuous public health concern. On the other hand, only a few authorised pharmaceutical veterinary products will be available for the treatment of turkeys as food producing animals. Vaccination today and in the future is regarded as one of the most beneficial interventions to prevent diseases. The use of future progressive vaccine production can significantly reduce the cost of vaccines, ensure better efficacy, and allow easy and rapid intervention to face the steady mutation of the microorganisms involved. Furthermore, the development of efficient vaccines against bacterial infections will lead to a reduction of the use of antibiotics and subsequently will reduce the development of resistant bacteria. In general, consumer expectations for high quality products will strongly influence future production methods. This means that farmers, veterinarians, stockholders and all other partners involved in the production chain need to share more responsibilities.

At the 2017 symposium, 29 oral presentations were held in several different sections. Topics related to current and future challenges of turkey production and health in several countries were given. Other papers covered existing problems and solution throughout the entire production chain from the hatchery to the slaughterhouse. These included the effects of stress, light, and rearing management, as well as stocking density on animal welfare aspects and performances. In addition, several papers were presented that dealt with the effects of feed quality, litter quality, and footpad health on performance. Other papers dealt with current health problems and their diagnosis, as well as with problems related to antibiotic resistance and control methods. Special attention was given to histomoniasis and avian influenza (H5N8), and problems affecting trade with turkey and turkey products. The proceedings (181 pages) with the complete articles in English was published by Mensch & Buch Verlag (ISBN 3978-3-86387-884-9)

Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude to all individuals who worked in the planning and co-ordination of the symposium, especially the staff of the Institute of Poultry Diseases at the Free University Berlin.

The 10th ‘Hafez’ International Symposium on Turkey Production will be held in Berlin, Germany; May/June 2019. I hope to see you in Berlin.

Asia Pacific Federation

Asia Pacific Federation Meeting

The Asia Pacific Federation held its General Meeting on 26th March during the Asian Pacific Poultry Conference in Bangkok. This was well attended by delegates from nine of the Federation branches as well as the President of WPSA, Dr Ning Yang and the General Secretary of WPSA, Dr Roel Mulder.The current President, Senior Vice President and Junior Vice President of the Asia/Pacific Federation, their four-year terms at an end, stepped down. In the following election of officers of the Federation Dr Sakchai Sriboonsue from the Thailand branch was elected as the new President with Mr Chuang Ma from the China branch elected as Senior Vice-President and Dr Nasir Mukhtar from the Pakistan branch elected as Junior Vice-President.The office of Secretary is not an elected one, so in due course a new Secretary will be chosen and announced by the Presidents. The outgoing Secretary is Dr M. Abdollahi from the New Zealand branch.The Immediate Past President, Mr Alan Gibbins from the New Zealand branch, who had served in this role for 12 years congratulated the new leadership of the Federation and wished them and the Federation well for the future.Under another agenda item, the selection of host for the upcoming 12th APPC was made. This was gained by the China branch. The meeting attendees thanked the China branch for taking on this huge responsibility.Other discussions at the meeting focussed on the Federation’s Constitution and a draft protocol for the selection of hosts for future Federation conferences.

A/P WG3

The next Ratite Science Symposium is being planned for 2020. Anyone who is involved in ratite research and is interested in joining the Ratite Working Group is asked to contact Anel Engelbrecht at .

Anel Engelbrecht

World's Poultry Science Journal

You are likely aware that the last few years have seen academic publishers engaging with scholarly collaboration networks in various ways, trying to balance their popularity with authors and researchers against concerns over large-scale copyright infringement. Cambridge University Press, along with SpringerNature and Thieme, has just signed an agreement with ResearchGate to foster responsible sharing - see our joint statement here. Other publishers took part in the negotiations and are working to have a deal in place soon.

Upcoming articles

Heder Lima - Vitamin A in the diet of laying hens: enrichment of table eggs to prevent nutritional deficiencies in humans

Ali Aygun - Poultry semen cryopreservation technologies

Vladimir Titov - The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the body growth rate of birds

Aisha Khatoon - An extensive review of experimental ochratoxicosis in poultry: I. Growth and production parameters along with histopathological alterations

Bruno Vieira - Combination of phytase and organic acid for broilers: role in mineral digestibility and phytic acid degradation

Summaries

The benefits of supplementation with antibiotic alternatives on Newcastle disease virus titres in poultry

A.O. EMECHETA, A.C. IKE, C.J. ONU, C.D. EZE and C.V. OLOVO

Newcastle disease is one of the most important diseases of poultry with wide distribution and high fatalities. An infection with a virulent strain can cause up to 100% fatality in a susceptible flock, with devastating economic losses. In-feed antibiotics are not directly effective against Newcastle disease virus (NDV), but they may assist in prevent associated production problems. With in-feed antibiotics being controlled or banned, prebiotics, particularly those sourced from spices, and probiotics have been investigated as potential alternatives for maintaining seroconversion in poultry vaccinated against NDV. Certain prebiotics have a positive effect on anti-NDV antibodies but using spices as sources of prebiotics gave no clearly defined results. Garlic extract was reported to increase the mean haemagglutination inhibition (HI) titre of NDV by 0.6 after two weeks of supplementation, increasing titres by 4.0 in the vaccinated group compared to an increase of 3.4 in vaccinated unsupplemented group. However, onion-based compounds did not improve anti-NDV antibodies. The majority of studies have found that probiotics improved antibody levels and seroconversion to NDV vaccines in poultry. A commercial probiotic, containing a mixture of Bacillus species and Saccharomyces boulardii when used at a concentration of 100 g/ton was found to significantly increase the anti-NDV titre (log2) from 5.00 to 5.50. Another commercial probiotic, consisting of a combination of bacteria, reduced mortality by 6.6% at a concentration of 1 g/kg. Additional studies are needed to define the conditions and forms in which both the pre- and pro-biotics work best with respect to NDV control.

Vitamin A in the diet of laying hens: enrichment of table eggs to prevent nutritional deficiencies in humans

H.J.D. LIMA and L.A.Z. SOUZA

The concentration of vitamin A in egg yolk is directly related to its inclusion in the diet of laying hens. The vitamin A concentration of the egg yolk is 79 µg/100 g or 263 UI/100 g, and the concentration in 60 g eggs increased from 59 to 75 µg in response to an increase in dietary vitamin A supplementation. Currently, the level of vitamin A recommended for laying hens is 900 UI/day or 9,000 UI/kg feed and 15,000 UI/kg of egg mass. The bioavailability of preformed vitamin A in the egg ranges from 90 to 100%, accounting for about 15% of the daily recommended dietary intake for humans, while bioavailability may vary from 10 to 67%. The table egg is a functional food for humans that can be enriched with vitamin A, and its consumption could be an alternative to prevent and reduce the prevalence of deficiencies, especially in risk groups, such as children and the elderly.

Poultry semen cryopreservation technologies

H.B. ÇİFTCİ and A. AYGÜN

Several techniques have been developed for the preservation and improvement of genetic resources to maintain genetic diversity. Among those techniques, semen cryopreservation is thought to be the best and successfully applied by dairy and beef industries, but so far, it has not been established in the poultry industry. This is because poultry sperm cells have a unique shape and membrane fluidity, differing from those of mammalian sperm. Also, poultry sperm membranes contain higher quantities of polyunsaturated fatty acids than mammalian sperm, and hence may require more antioxidant protection. Due to the peculiarity of poultry sperm cells, commonly used cryoprotectants for cryopreservation have a contraceptive or toxic effect. This renders the fertility of frozen poultry sperm to become highly variable and not reliable enough for use in commercial production or preservation of genetic resources. The average fertility of frozen/thawed poultry sperm ranges between 2-80%. Therefore, this paper reviews the possible reasons for the lower success of poultry sperm cryopreservation.

It has been established that embryogenesis is accompanied by the intense production of nitric oxide (NO). Based on available data, the rate of NO production is roughly equal in all embryos of the same poultry species. However, the rate of NO oxidation to nitrate in embryos of meat breeds is higher than in embryos of egg breeds. In broiler embryos about 90% of all produced NO is oxidised to nitrate. In embryos from egg breeds only several per cent of the NO oxidised to nitrate and the other NO is stored in the embryonic tissues included in NO donors. The intensity of NO oxidation in bird embryo is not depended on sex, age of the layer and feeding regime. Intensity of oxidation varies by no more than 10% within a breed strain or cross. Breeding to increase meat productivity is always associated with an increase in the intensity of NO oxidation in the embryo. There is no direct relationship between the increase in NO oxidation and the live weight gain. It can vary from hundreds of percent to several percent depending on the breed. Moreover, morphological differences between breeds with high and low intensity of embryonic NO oxidation are manifested only after hatching, as synthesis of NO is much lower than in the embryo. It has been presumed that NO oxidation is associated with the synthesis or activation of the factor(s) involved with enhanced growth of meat tissue. This is predetermined genetically and can be partly induced by exogenous stimulants, such as green light. The rate of embryonic NO oxidation can therefore be a useful criterion in practical selection of poultry and in the evaluation of growth enhancers acting at the embryonic level.

An extensive review of experimental ochratoxicosis in poultry: I. Growth and production parameters along with histopathological alterations

A. KHATOON and Z. ABIDIN

The presence of certain mycotoxins within poultry feed has a negative impact upon the growth and the quality of the final product in the form of meat and eggs. More than 300 different chemically diverse mycotoxins have been identified, but ochratoxins and aflatoxins are considered to be most harmful to the poultry industry. Ochratoxin, more importantly ochratoxin A (OTA) is produced by different species of Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. which are present as storage fungi within the stored grains and feed ingredients. Body weight gain has been found to decrease in a dose dependent manner when infected at rates of 0.5-29.4 mg/kg for 7-60 days in different experimental studies. Decreased feed intake has been observed at levels of 0.5-4 mg/kg OTA fed for 21-60 days, while egg production, hatchability, eggshell thickness and egg mass production is severely affected when 0.5-4 mg/kg OTA in feed was fed for 28-84 days. However, 0.5-20 mg/kg OTA given for between two and 10 weeks of age was sufficient to produce histopathological alterations in the liver, kidney, thymus, bursa of Fabricius, spleen, lungs and heart. The research shows that OTA adversely affects every organ in birds and, in the following review, OTA associated alterations in growth parameters, production performance and histopathological disturbances of different body organs are discussed.

Combination of phytase and organic acid for broilers: role in mineral digestibility and phytic acid degradation

B.S. VIEIRA, J.G. CARAMORI JUNIOR, C.F.S. OLIVEIRA and G.S.S. CORREA

The following review covers current and classical knowledge regarding the positive effects of organic acids on phytase activity and phytate P availability in broiler chickens. Despite the improvements achieved for phytase stability under gastrointestinal conditions, intrinsic characteristics of phytic acid, dietary components and the digestive tract favour phytate formation and, consequently, inhibit the degradation of phytic acid and other inositol phosphates by phytase. Organic acids, more frequently citric acid, have been shown to decrease phytate establishment and enhance phytase activity. When supplemented alone, citric acid increased P retention by 16 to 34% and phytate P retention by 105% in broilers. When combined with phytase, 3.27% better tibia ash has been reported. From the available data, it appears that combined use of phytases and organic acids deserves greater consideration in modern poultry nutrition.

Branch News

Algeria

On the behalf of the organising and scientific committees, of the combined 5th National Symposium and the 2nd Maghrebin Journee’s of Poultry Science, the Algerian Poultry Science Association (APSA) invites its colleagues to participate in this event.

The meeting will be held from 2-4 November 2018 in Constantine at the El-Khayem Hotel. The topics of discussion will include:

Poultry welfarePoultry feeding and nutritionProphylaxis and pathologyHygiene and quality of the poultry productsReproduction and selection

For more details on this event, please visit our web site: http://symposium2018.simplesite.com/. We look forward to welcoming you to the city of bridges ‘Constantine’ on November 2 to 4.

Austria

The Austrian Branch of WPSA is organising its first WPSA-AT Meeting for the 24th of November 2018 in Vienna. This will be a one-day meeting, which will take place at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences and will cover ‘The Use of Antibiotics in Laying Hen Operations'.

China

On 20-21 August 2018, members of the China Branch of WPSA attended the 10th executive committee meeting of the Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, CAAV – Poultry Branch in Xinyang, Henan Province, China. The secretary of WPSA-CN provided our planned agenda for WPSA-CNs session, and the potential invited speakers for the 19th Annual Conference of Poultry Science to be held in 2019. Meanwhile, preparation is underway for a Symposium on Chicken Quality, and plans for the 2018 annual meeting of CAAV are also being discussed.

France

The French Branch of WPSA is delighted to invite you to participate in the upcoming World Poultry Congress that will be held from the 16-20 August 2020 in the attractive city of Paris. Information can be found on the web site http://www.wpcparis2020.com/.

Please notice that the organisers propose an Early Sponsoring period for the 2020 World Poultry Congress. The Congress will be held in Paris and will attract more than 3000 attendees from all over the world: experts, scientists, researchers, production specialists will participate in presenting and discussing their most recent findings. The early sponsoring will allow our partners to have the benefit of longer visibility (three years before the event), larger opportunities in the sponsoring of activities, as well as eligibility for a 15% discount in 2018. If you are interested and want to know more about this opportunity, please contact us at or .

Israel

The 53rd Annual Conference of the Israeli Branch will take place at the end of November 2018 in Tel Aviv. During that 2-day conference, we plan to hold about 15 sessions covering a variety of scientific topics and issues concerning the poultry industry. During the conference, Israeli companies from various sectors of the poultry industry will present their unique products and technological innovations.

Japan

The 2018 Autumn Meeting of JPSA will be held at Tohoku University in Sendai, Miyagi, during 5–6 September. The meeting will contain an open symposium, as well as council and general meetings. A symposium will be held on the revision of the Food Sanitation Law and its influences on the poultry industry. Detailed information on the fall meeting will be provided on the JPSA website (http://jpn-psa.jp/oshirase/?lang=en).

The Journal of Poultry Science (JPS, the official journal of JPSA, Impact Factor: 0.771) always welcomes the submission of reviews and original papers. Free access to download the full-published articles in JPS is available on J-Stage (https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/jpsa), which provides an excellent opportunity for all to have access to its published articles.

JPSA wants to contribute to poultry science in Japan and all over the world by enhancing its international activities with members from different countries. Thus, JPSA has a membership category for foreign citizens residing abroad as ‘Special International Member’. The page charges to publish their papers in the JPS will be set at a membership price. JPSA always welcomes new members from all over the world. Please visit our JPSA website (http://jpn-psa.jp/?lang=en) for further information.

Pakistan

The Pakistan Branch of WPSA will organise a two day ‘National Poultry Symposium on Poultry Health & Welfare (NPSPHW)’ on 11-12 December 2018 to be held in the University Auditorium at PMAS Arid Agriculture University, 46300 Rawalpindi (Islamabad) Pakistan. The organising committee for NPSPHW would like to invite delegates to participate in this Symposium’s events that will be held in this beautiful city of Pakistan. Scientists, experts, researchers and other personnel involved in the poultry industry should attend to share their most recent findings. If you are interested and want to know more about this wonderful opportunity, please contact Asst. Prof. Dr Nasir Mukhtar, Email: , Cell: +92 (0) 300720074.

South Africa

The South African Branch will hold the 36th Scientific Day on Wednesday 31 October 2018 at the CSIR Conference Centre in Pretoria, South Africa. Theme of the meeting is 'Latest Developments in Layer and Breeder Production'.

Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan branch of WPSA, in collaboration with Sri Lanka Veterinary Association, and the US Soya Bean Export Council conducted their second seminar for the year on Poultry Nutrition & Management for the membership on 6th April 2018 at Hotel Topaz Kandy. This was conducted as a part of the branch’s continuous effort on uplifting the knowledge of the branch’s members. About 100 WPSA & SLVA members participated in the seminar programme.

The Sri Lanka Branch (WPSA-SL), in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Medical Nutrition Association, conducted a seminar on ‘Protein for a Healthy Nation’ for key medical practitioners in Kandy district, on 25th May 2018 at the Hotel Topaz Kandy. This seminar was organised by WPSA – SL as a part of its continuous attempt to build demand for chicken and eggs, island wide. Over 85 Medical officers (including consultants) were present & they actively participated in the programme. Dr Gamini Jayakody, a consultant community physician from the central provincial director’s office in Kandy provided a good lecture on ‘The importance of protein consumption in preventing disease.’ Prof. N.S Kalupahana, a Professor from the Human Nutrition Faculty of Medicine University of Peradeniya provided another lecture on ‘Myths on nutrition related to Diabetes and non-communicable diseases.’ Finally Dr Chin How Cheong, a Poultry Veterinary Consultant in Singapore, led a discussion on ‘Myths & misconceptions related to chicken & egg consumption’.

The Sri Lanka Branch, again in collaboration with the Sri Lankan Veterinary Association, and the US Soya Bean Export Council conducted their third seminar for the year on Poultry Nutrition & Management Techniques from 11th June to 13th June 2018 at Hotel Topaz Kandy. The seminar was conducted as a part of our continuous effort to uplift the knowledge of the membership. Over 100 WPSA & SLVA members participated in this programme.

Professor Ravi Ravindran of Massey University in New Zealand was invited as the main speaker for this three day programme. Dr S.S.P Silva, the Director of the Veterinary Research Institute (VRI) in Sri Lanka, and Dr Nimal Priyankarage, also served with the registration.

Educational & Trade mission to the NetherlandsThe Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, in collaboration with Sri Lankan Branch of WPSA organised an educational & trade mission to the Netherlands for key poultry veterinarians & medium scale broiler & layer companies in Sri Lanka. This training visit was conducted from 17-24 June in parallel with the VIV Europe in Utrecht the Netherlands. Twenty two WPSA-SL members were participants in this mission.

During this programme, participants were provided comprehensive training and hands on experience with regard to on poultry management from farm to the end product, with practical exposure to spme of the latest poultry management techniques in the Netherlands. Barneveld College, the Dutch Poultry museum, and the VIV Exhibition were among the key visited sites.

Togo

The Regional Centre of Excellence for Poultry Science (CERSA) and the World’s Poultry Science Association - Togolese branch (WPSA-Togo) will organise Panafrican Poultry Conference (PPC) from 13th to 17th May 2019. This conference will take place at Campus of University of Lome, Togo. More than 200 delegates from Togo, regional and international countries are expected to attend the conference.Several experienced speakers drawn from both international, regional and national academia and poultry industry will be on hand to discuss the topics. Well known invited speakers will highlight bottlenecks of African poultry industry and it importance in the world. In total, six (06) thematic areas will be covered including: 1) Egg and meat processing, 2) Environment and management, 3) Feeding-Nutrition and Metabolism, 4) Genetics, 6) Reproduction and incubation and 4) Socio-economy. The programme for the PPC will be posted on CERSA web site (www.cersa-togo.org) and its links.All those involved in poultry science and industry are encouraged to submit original research, teaching and extension papers. Information about abstracts submission will be available on www.cersa-togo.org in few weeks.

Turkey

The Turkish Branch is fully engaged in the organisation of the XXIV European Symposium on the Quality of Poultry Meat and XVIII. European Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg Products to be held in the Aegean resort town of Çeşme (İzmir) between 23-26 June 2019.

If you are interested in participating in or in serving as a sponsor for these symposia, please visit www.eggmeat2019.com or contact Prof. Dr Servet Yalçın at or Prof. Dr Rüveyde Akbay at .

United Kingdom

33rd Poultry Science Symposium

The proposal for the 33rd Poultry Science Symposium is to discuss the topics of prebiotics, probiotics and the poultry microbiome, against the background of a post-antibiotic era. The tentative date for the 33rd PSS would be August 2020, with the preferred venue of Cambridge. As further planning progresses more details will appear on the WPSA UK website at www.wpsa-uk.com.

USA

The USA and Canadian Branches of the WPSA jointly sponsored the annual WPSA lecture held during the Poultry Science Association Annual meeting in July in San Antonio, TX. The speaker was Rick Kleyn of Spesfeed (Pty) Ltd. from Rivonia, South Africa. He presented the topic ‘The current state and future demands of the poultry industry: Will we meet our commitments?’. His presentation was both very informative and challenging to all in attendance. His core message addressed the challenges of the food industry to meet the demands for food security, provide the products that consumers want and act in a sustainable manner.

Also, during the PSA annual meeting, the USA and Canadian Branches hosted a joint annual luncheon promoting fellowship and interaction between the branches.

The USA Branch also conducted its annual business meeting in San Antonio, with a majority of the Board members present. One of the key upcoming activities is a planned Branch election to replace two of our Branch Board members with terms expiring in January, 2019

Travel Grant application forms

Speakers' Bureau Programme

Branch Development Proposal

In the Board meeting held during WPC2016 in Beijing, China, the Board decided to increase the funds available for Branch Development by making a formal call for Branch Development Proposals.The maximum budget for a proposal is US$2,000.